RickC said

jertex said

So a novice can learn, you’d pass because the wood has been refinished or because of the way it’s been refinished? Because of the replacement rear sight? Other reasons? Just trying to learn on what to look out for when trying to find an old Winchester at the right price.

  

Hi jertex, I will answer your inquiries and great questions. First regarding the gun, the reason the condition doesn’t warrant the price is because this gun has been sanded at some point and possibly re-stained in the process. There are different shades of Winchester red during this time period but I don’t believe blonde was one of them. It also appears to me cold blue has been applied at some point to the receiver only going by the photos, and as mentioned, the rear sight is wrong. It should have a 44A to make it correct and it would cost anywhere from $200-$300 for the sight when you find one.

As a novice or new collector you have to start somewheres and my start was with mostly shooter grade guns that had a few issues, but I could shoot them at the range which was my intentions and all the while learning from books and articles that some of our fellow WACA members here have written. As time went on, I progressed to higher grade and condition, guns with more options, and within a couple years realized quality for me was better than quantity.

My purchases now are very calculated, and I do as much research on the gun as I can. I ask for as many photos as I can get, and often reach out to some of the experts, here on the forum to get their opinion or assessment. You came to the right place for information, history, and camaraderie when it comes to Winchesters and someone is always eager, and happy to answer any questions. Good luck collecting in the future. 

RickC

  

That was very helpful, Rick, greatly appreciated. Even as a novice, I was certain that the stock had been refinished before I ever posted anything here and I even caught the fact that the rear sight didn’t look standard. I didn’t notice application of cold blue. It seems to me that there are two types of “collectors”, those who want a pristine and/or truly rare Winchester and are willing to risk significant money, or the collector of good quality shooters because they appreciate the history and enjoy the experience of shooting lever action rifles. I tend to think I’ll lean toward the latter, it’s a lot less expensive, I get to shoot what I buy for much less money spent on a very speculative item, and if I make a mistake, the financial impact is less troublesome. An example of a Winchester I purchased like this is a 1951 model 94, 32 win special, in very good condition, but had a butt stock replacement that was fit well but the finish didn’t come close to matching the forend. It had a cycling issue that was fixed by replacing a carrier spring. I paid $400 for it, $25 for a replacement spring, and I have the stock off to strip and refinish so it’s more traditional, and I’ll have a nice shooter to enjoy with my sons and appreciate the history behind the Winchester rifles. If I lose $100 bucks if/when I go to resell it, that’s pretty cheap entertainment and great memories with my family. It doesn’t mean that I won’t try to grab a true gem at a good price, but that’s less likely to happen these days with the wealth of knowledge available on an informative site like this one.